Study: Packaged food raises levels of bisphenol A

Forgoing packaged foods such as canned soups and vegetables could dramatically lower levels of a hormone-disrupting chemical that has been linked to myriad health problems, including birth defects, autism and reproductive issues, according to a study released today. In the study, published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, five Bay Area families were asked to eliminate packaged foods from their diets and store food only in glass or stainless steel containers. After only three days, levels of the chemical bisphenol A in the subjects’ urine dropped by more than 60 percent, researchers found. Researchers were surprised by the dramatic drop in levels of the chemical after such a short change in diet, even though it was known that bisphenol A, also known as BPA, does not stay in the body for long. “We’re hoping these very remarkable results will help us in our outreach and education to people to show them how easily changes can be made in their personal habits that may diminish significant exposure to BPA,” said Janet Gray, an author of the report and science adviser to the Breast Cancer Fund, a San Francisco advocacy group and partner in the study. Epoxy resin liners. BPA is used in the epoxy resins used to line metal food cans and lids of glass jars, as well as in some clear plastic containers. It can leach from the liners and plastic containers into food itself. Studies have linked BPA to such health and behavioral problems as birth defects in reproductive systems, early puberty, autism and hyperactivity. Researchers focused on just five families – 10 adults and 10 children – because they considered the study a pilot project to test the methodology for future research, Gray said. They limited the test period to three days because BPA metabolizes rapidly. After testing the family members’ BPA level in urine samples, researchers provided the families with the three days of organic meals and snacks prepared by a caterer and delivered to their homes last year. Families were instructed to follow very strict protocols if they needed to diverge from the prepared foods for any reason. The level of BPA found in the family members dropped from an average of 3.7 nanograms per milliliter of urine, which is on par with the national average found in other research, to 1.2 nanograms per milliliter. Levels of another chemical, DEHP, or bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, which is found in some plastic food packaging and is also linked to reproductive and other health issues, dropped by more than 50 percent. Average BPA levels returned to previous levels after they returned to their normal diets. Base levels top average. Study participant Monica Laurlund of Alamo said she was shocked by the results. Laurlund, 40, learned about the study through a Craigslist posting and wanted to participate because she was interested in the health effects. Laurlund is a stay-at-home mom, and her family doesn’t eat many prepared foods, so she said she was surprised to learn her family’s base BPA levels actually exceeded the national average. The final results spurred her to remove canned foods from her home and replace them with alternatives, such as those packaged in glass or Tetra Pak containers. “Because it has such a short life in your body, anyone can make these changes,” she said. “Those changes are so easy to make, and it’s going to affect your body immediately.” Representatives from the grocery and chemical industries say trace BPA levels found in humans are safe. “We agree with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that foods packaged in cans with epoxy linings that utilize BPA are safe, and that there is no need for consumers to change their consumption habits,” the Grocery Manufacturers Association said in a statement. Industry response. The American Chemistry Council said typical consumer exposure to BPA and DEHP is at least 1,000 times less than government-established safe exposure levels. “This study simply confirms these reassuring points: that consumers have minute exposures to BPA and DEHP from food sources, and that the substances do not stay in the body, but are quickly eliminated through natural means,” the group said in response to the study. Yet there is plenty of debate over whether the government-sanctioned BPA levels are, in fact, safe for humans. Connie Engel, program coordinator for the Breast Cancer Fund and one of the study’s authors, said recent lab studies have found adverse health effects at BPA levels under the government threshold. Re-exposure “While it leaves the body pretty rapidly, we’re reintroducing it constantly,” she said. “If people can make these changes or we have political impact on food packaging, we may see people not constantly be re-exposed.” Engel suggested glass and stainless steel as alternatives. She noted that some BPA alternatives have not been fully tested. More than 20 states, including California, are considering legislation to curb BPA exposure. So far, the efforts in this state and nationwide have been largely unsuccessful. ((30 MAR 2011))